by Alan Littlewood, Keighley Shared Church

WHAT was the first prayer you really prayed? It was probably the same one word your mother first heard from you, the word 'help'!

God himself, who longs to be called Our Father, has gone to enormous lengths to show his strength in what we often call weakness.

“Except you be like a little child”. Maturity is signalled when we feel strong enough or independent enough to face problems without help, even to resent help when it is offered.

But much of our education and upbringing of children is about developing and insisting on our rights. Standing on our own two feet. Doing it “my way”. Only when it once again doesn’t seem to work do we revert to the earlier prayer word 'help'! How many times must we each go round this circle before we realise that He knows, He is better than us, and wants more than anything to make it all right.

I have learned to pray each new day. “Lord Jesus, I abandon myself into your hands. Do with me whatever you will, I will only be grateful for whatever you choose to do. I am prepared for anything. I accept everything.” And to ensure I don’t get lost on the way, I have the Holy Bible.

The secret is this. The less there is of me, the more there can be of Him. My aim is that I will be merged into him and die to my will, so that I may in Him share in his life and resurrection.

Jesus never did anything for himself. But he made it possible for me to become a clone of him. Clay in the hands of the potter. Thy will be done here as in heaven. If I surrender my self-centred will to Him following his word it becomes impossible for me to be anxious about anything. So when God looks at me, I want Him to see another Jesus. And when all that is wrong in the world looks at me, may they too see only Jesus. And when the Father looks at me, may I only see Abba Father.

He has promised “my burden is easy; my burden light”. He advises us to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”. I have known many who have done that but none who found less than perfection. May you too find your completion in Jesus.